A Year Later
by Lycan-Otaku-1981
Summary: Al is back in his own body and is now a State Alchemist, Ed has been in a coma for an entire year since Al regained his body, Falman has left the military, Mustang is about to realize his longtime goal, and the gang is coming back together.
1. Chapter 1

Author's notes: Just a little something I started working on back in November of last year… I sat on it for a while before deciding to do anything with it, not sure if it was good enough to show to anyone else, and then fighting with myself about whether or not I should post it…

Regular Disclaimers apply… I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist… It and all characters from it are the sole possession of Hiromu Arakawa-Sama…

And now, without further ado… Here is my little fic…

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Edward Elric looked around himself groggily. He felt ill and shortly after waking he found himself leaning over the edge of a sofa releasing the contents of his stomach into a bucket. He shakily wiped his right hand over his face and he was surprised to feel the smooth hand on his cheek instead of the automail he was used to. His eyes widened and he held his right arm out for inspection. He saw a flesh and blood arm and he gasped. He sat bolt upright and scanned the room for his brother. He was frantic until he saw Alphonse walking into the room from the kitchen, carrying a cup of tea. His flesh and blood brother… Wait… What the hell was going on here?

"How are you feeling, nii-san?" Alphonse asked.

"I'd be a lot better if I knew what the hell was going on…" Edward rasped. His throat burned raw after purging his stomach and he felt as if he had done so more than once.

"What do you mean, nii-san? We fixed ourselves, don't you remember?" Alphonse looked at Edward earnestly. His eyes pleading with Ed to remember what happened. He didn't want to have to explain it to his feverish brother again.

"No, Alphonse… I can't remember it… All I remember was Scar using you to make the Philosopher's Stone and we were on the run. I remember killing Sloth and hunting the homunculi… But other than that my mind is a blank."

"Envy almost killed you, nii-san. It was actually quite simple to heal you. Then I used the Stone to fix you. We used the last of the Stone's power to get my body back to normal. You've been slightly ill since I healed you, but I think you're coming around. I think you might have gotten a bit taller since I healed you too… your feet didn't hang over the edge when we first got here."

Ed looked at his brother, dumbfounded. Al looked like the body he was in was a lot younger than he should have been, but Ed thought that was to be expected… What he didn't expect was what came next.

"Where are we?"

"Central. Mustang has allowed me to keep you in my lodgings."

"Your lodgings?"

Alphonse looked around nervously. His eyes pleaded with Ed to not go over the edge. "I passed the tests to become a state alchemist months ago… I am a dog of the military, as are you whenever you are back to yourself…"

Ed fixed his brother with a look so cold it could have frozen flames. Then his gaze softened and his expression was lost… He looked like a child, almost. "What do you mean months ago, Al? How long have I been out of it?"

Alphonse frowned in thought. He counted backwards in his head and he looked at Ed apologetically. "We've been back in our original bodies for a year now. I passed the State Alchemist tests with flying colors about four months ago. Until then we were staying with Mrs. Hughes and Elicia. Once I passed my exams Brigadier General Mustang, Colonel Armstrong, and Second Lieutenant Havoc helped move you and our stuff into my lodgings, so we would be out from under Gracia's feet. She didn't want to see us go, nii-san… But I couldn't justify imposing our presence on her, especially since Brigadier General Hughes passed on."

"So I've been dead to the world for a year now? How often have you had to leave me here alone while on your military missions?" Ed asked, his tone slightly accusatory. He sipped the tea that Al set down on the table next to him.

"I have only been doing research since being licensed. Mustang hasn't sent me away; in fact he said that he doesn't want me going on any missions unless I am being accompanied by you. Personally I think he wants to keep us here for a while so he can watch over us." Al said; trust in his superiors evident on his tone, though tentative to judge his brother's reaction.

"Right, well, I think I am going to go use your facilities, Al." Ed said with a sigh. He stood up and let out a jaw popping yawn while stretching out his back. He started to walk away from the sofa when Alphonse stopped him.

"Nii-san…"

"Yes, Alphonse?"

Al sat there stammering for a moment. He looked at Ed, who stood there facing his younger brother with an eyebrow raised in question.

"You aren't mad at me for becoming a State Alchemist, are you?"

"No, Al… How could I justify being angry with you when I did the same thing…"

"I was worried, is all. Especially seeing as how you don't care much for General Mustang…"

"He used us, Al! Was I supposed to like being a pawn to him?!?" Ed entered the small bathroom connected to his brother's dorm and slammed the door behind him. Almost at the same time as the door slammed, a knock sounded on the door to the dorm. Al walked over to the door, rubbing his hand over his hair. He opened the door to reveal Second Lieutenant Heymans Breda at his door, preparing to knock again. Alphonse saluted Breda and stepped aside to allow him entrance into the dorm.

"Good morning, Major Elric." Breda greeted, saluting Al back and stepping into the room.

"Hello, Lieutenant Breda! How are you today?" Al responded in an enthusiastic greeting. He closed the door after Breda was inside and leaned against the door frame.

"How's Ed, Alphonse?" Breda asked, and before Al could respond he quickly rephrased his question. "Where's Ed?"

"He woke up about 5 to 10 minutes ago and he is the most alert I have seen him in a year! He's in the bathroom." Just as Al said that, Ed walked out of the bathroom. His golden eyes were bright and he was actually smiling.

"Al! It's seamless. There's no evidence of scars or anything!" His smile faltered a bit upon seeing that Breda was there. "Well, hello Lieutenant Breda… Or is your rank changed now?"

Breda smiled at Ed. "I'm still a lieutenant, Ed. You can call me Heymans if you'd like… I may be a military man, but it isn't all about Major this and Lieutenant that." Breda said laughing.

"Alright, Heymans." Ed said, tentatively.

"How are you, Ed? We've all been quite concerned about you."

"I feel alright, sir, though I can't be sure until I've been up longer, I guess. Have all of you worried? Even General Bastard?"

"Mustang has been more worried about you than even the rest of us, Edward. He's had specialists from Xing to see if they could break you from unconsciousness with their medical alchemy and he's come to see you twice a day, sometimes even three times!"

Ed looked genuinely surprised to hear that. He glanced at Alphonse who nodded to confirm what Breda said. He frowned and closed his eyes, rubbing them with the thumb and index fingers of his right hand. He sighed deeply and walked back over to the couch. He plopped down on it and leaned against the back of the couch, crossing his left leg over his right. "How is everybody else, Heymans? I mean, it's been a year since I last knew anything about anyone…"

"Well, as you know Mustang is the Brigadier General and word is that he's going to be getting that promotion that he has been trying for most of his career in the next couple of months. Hawkeye is a Colonel now and she and Havoc are engaged to be married. Havoc is a Lieutenant Colonel. Fuery is a Lieutenant now and Falman has retired."

"Hawkeye and Havoc?" Ed asked, disbelievingly.

"Haha! That was my sentiment exactly, Ed! We didn't even know there was anything going on between them and then they waltzed in and had the oddest googly eye thing going on. When Mustang was trying to get them to chill out with it because it was distracting everybody, Havoc yelled at Mustang to leave him and his fiancée alone. I think Mustang fainted right then and there… the rest of us were shocked, happy for them but shocked."

"And General Bastard is getting ready to be made Fuhrer?"

"That's how the rumor goes anyway."

"Are we still a military state, Heymans?"

Breda looked surprised at the unexpectedly mature question from Ed and he quickly rearranged his expression to be more thoughtful than surprised. "Well, Ed… After Mustang killed Fuhrer Bradley he went straight to Congress and alerted them to the situation. He was prepared to meet stiff punishment for the assassination of Bradley, but Congress thanked him and declared him a hero. They decided that they would run the country without a public figurehead and only recently did they realize it was a bad idea to do that. They called Mustang in for a meeting recently and rumor after rumor sprang up then. We think that although he was told to stay quiet about what took place, that this meeting is the cause of Mustang's excellent mood of late."

A sharp rap is heard on the door then, followed by the melodic sound of a woman's laughter. Al smiled and opened the door. Once the door opened Black Hayate charged into the room and jumped onto Ed's lap before he even realized the dog was in the room. "Hey there chief." Was Havoc's easy response to Al opening the door. Al stepped aside and let the pair enter his dorm. "How's Fullmetal?"

"I'm good, Lieutenant Colonel Havoc." Ed said, effectively drawing Havoc and Hawkeye's attention from Al to himself. Hawkeye quickly released Havoc's hand from hers and bowed in greeting to Ed. When she stood, tears rimmed her auburn eyes and a big smile was on her face. Ed looked uncomfortable at the sight of her tears.

She slowly walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a light embrace. "Welcome back, Edward. We've missed you." Ed felt the tears streaming onto his shoulder through his shirt.

"Thank you, Colonel Hawkeye, ma'am." Ed said, raising his free arm to pat her on the back. "I feel good… it's good to be back and to see my brother the way he is now."

Hawkeye pulled back from his shoulder, tears still running down her cheeks. She pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the tears from her cheeks and then tucked the handkerchief back in her pocket. "How long ago did he wake up, Alphonse?" She asked.

"Maybe about fifteen minutes ago. Breda arrived shortly after he woke up and then you two showed up shortly after Breda did."

"Have you called the General yet, chief?" Havoc asked, seeing where Riza was going with her question.

"Not yet, sir. I'll go call him now! How could I forget…" Al said, heading towards the door to the kitchen. Havoc put a hand on Al's shoulder.

"Allow me to, Alphonse?" Hawkeye said, rising from the couch. Al nodded and Hawkeye entered the kitchen. Once the door closed behind her, Black Hayate jumped off Ed's lap and ran to the kitchen door. He whined at it and then sat at attention right at the door. Havoc walked over to the couch and reached his hand out to Ed.

"Welcome back, chief. You had all of us worried as hell. Riza didn't want to actually get married without you in attendance. And to tell the truth, neither do I, because I want you to stand up for me, Ed." Havoc said. Ed looked dumbfounded at what Havoc said.

"You want me to… But, Lieutenant Colonel…"

"Just call me Jean, Ed. Drop the formalities. We are like a big family, Mustang's crew… And while I may have seemed indifferent to you, I was always concerned about you. At times I wondered who was more concerned, Roy or I." Havoc laughed and shook Ed's hand. He then pulled Ed into a quick hug. "It's good to have you back, kiddo."

"It's good to be back, Jean. Thank you. I would be honored to stand for you at your wedding…" Ed smiled. "Congratulations, by the way. You two are good for each other; I always thought you'd end up together."

Breda laughed at that and shook his head. The door had barely been closed when another knock sounded on it.

"Do you always have so many visitors at one time, Alphonse?" Ed asked, chuckling.

"The whole company usually meets here about this time, General Mustang is usually much later, due to meetings though." Al explained right before he opened the door. "Besides, it's not me they come here to see, nii-san. They come to check up on you."

"Hello, Al. How's Ed?" Fuery's light voice streamed into the room as Al stepped aside to let him in.

"See for yourself." Al answered, grinning ear to ear. At seeing Al's smile, Fuery brightened up and looked towards the couch.

"It's good to see you awake, Edward. It has been really difficult seeing you catatonic when you were so animated before." Fuery said with a smile. He walked over and gave Ed a hug in greeting and took a seat across from the couch. "Has Mustang been told?"

"Yes, and he's skipping his meeting with Parliament to come see Ed." Hawkeye said, coming out of the kitchen. "I told him to just come after the meeting, but he wouldn't hear common sense. They're going to strip him of that promotion before he even officially has it."

Breda laughed then, bringing the room's attention over to himself. "Yeah, but that's all secondary when it comes to Fullmetal, isn't it?"

"What do you mean, Breda?" Ed asked, warily.

"I mean that Mustang has been extremely worried about you and part of the reason that he has been working steadily like he was to ensure that he would have the proper connections to get you all the help you'd need to get you to regain consciousness."

Ed grunted and crossed his arms over his chest. "That bastard did nothing but use me the entire time I've been under him and you expect me to believe it?" The sound of a cocking gun stopped Ed from going any further.

"Edward, I have only seen Roy Mustang get emotional enough to cry on a handful of occasions. The first time was when my father, his mentor, died. The second time was when General Hughes died. The rest of them were whenever he got specialists out to check on you and they couldn't tell what was wrong and couldn't heal you." Hawkeye lectured. "Roy Mustang cares for you a lot more than you give him credit for!" Her eyes got teary again and she went back into the kitchen before anybody could see her shed tears again.

"She's right, nii-san. It's been kind of scary seeing Mustang like that." Al piped up. "I mean, we're used to seeing the teasing and yelling side of him. To see him cry, apologize and blame himself for them not being able to help you was really frightening."

Ed's eyes widened at his brother's revelation. He opened and closed his mouth, looking for words but instead resembling a fish out of water.

"Wow, the boss is speechless. That's something…" Breda said jokingly. Ed closed his mouth quickly then and got up, storming into the bathroom and slamming the door behind him.

The knocking on the door got everyone's attention. Al opened the door quickly and the man in question walked in quickly, muttering a greeting to the younger Elric. Mustang looked on the couch to see Ed gone and he glanced around the room. Breda pointed to the bathroom door and a smirk placed itself on the superior officer's face. He went over to the door and knocked lightly on it, waiting for an answer.

"Leave me alone!"

"Colonel Edward Elric, Fullmetal alchemist, get your little ass out of that bathroom before I burn that door down." He smirked as he got just the reaction he was waiting for.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL HE COULDN'T BE SEEN WITH A MICROSCOPE NEXT TO MOLD BACTERIUM IN A PETRI DISH?!? YOU BASTARD!!!" Ed yelled as he opened the bathroom door to find himself almost eye to eye with a smirking Roy Mustang.

"Hmmmm… guess I should have said skinny ass… You aren't so small any more, now are you?" Mustang said in an amused tone. Ed looked Mustang in the eyes and frowned.

"Did you say Colonel?" He asked in a disbelieving tone.

"Yes, yes I did, Fullmetal." Mustang said before expertly changing the subject. "I'm overjoyed to see you up and about this morning, Fullmetal. Especially hearing that your spirits are high as well. I think I'll grant you another two weeks of leave to make sure you feel 100% better before I reinstate you as an active member of the military."

Ed leaned against the wall before sliding down it to sit on the floor. He was muttering to himself and he looked totally surprised. He hugged his legs to his chest and rested his head on his knees.

"Ed?" Mustang asked, kneeling down next to the younger man. He tried getting Ed's attention. "Fullmetal?" He lightly smacked Ed's right cheek a couple times until he snapped out of it.

"So why the promotion, General Bastard?" Ed asked, still not looking at Roy, missing the hurt look on his face at the insult.

"Because you went above and beyond what anybody at the rank of Major should do. Hell, you went above and beyond Colonel, but they wouldn't let me promote you any higher than that." Roy said with a sigh. "Look, Ed, we need to straighten some things out between the two of us. I would like to have an open working relationship with you, like I do with the rest of my staff, but it isn't possible if we are continuously trying to one up each other with insults and the like. Truce?"

Ed looked up, taken aback by the tone and words used by Mustang. He gave a little smile and held his hand out to shake Mustang's hand. "So long as you treat me and my brother with the respect we deserve, it's a deal."

"You have to give respect to get respect Colonel Elric." Mustang answered, shaking the younger man's hand. He then stood helping Ed to his feet. Ed swayed a bit, but Mustang caught him around the waist and steered him to the couch where he plopped down.

"Now that you've seen him, sir, you should go to your meeting." Hawkeye said from the kitchen doorway.

"Parliament can wait, Hawkeye…" Mustang started before he heard the familiar sound of the safety being released on a handgun. "Or I can go to my meeting and come back to see Fullmetal at lunchtime." He raised his hands and walked to the door. He looked at his watch and cleared his throat. "You all had better be in the office when I get out of my meeting…" The sound of the gun cocking rushed him out the door.

Once Mustang left, everybody got settled in, Hawkeye sitting on the couch next to Ed.

"You know, Hawkeye, you are really terrifying." Ed said, nervously watching the gun she favored.

"I only do that to emphasize any points I have to make, Edward." She said quietly. "I might come close to shooting somebody, but when I pull my gun out to intimidate the shots will always miss. I don't think Roy is aware of that yet, and it's been years that I have been doing that to him."

Everybody laughed at this point. They all knew that Colonel Hawkeye meant business and she did all her best talking with a gun to emphasize her soft spoken words. They all respected her before she brought out her guns; afterwards it was an intimidated respect.

Ed's growling stomach got everyone's attention and Al went right to the kitchen. "Hey, boss, come back out here. I'm feeling a little generous. What say you we go out to breakfast, my treat." Breda said, calling Al out of the kitchen.

"You sure, Heymans?" Ed asked, glancing over at the larger man.

"Yeah, I know a nice little place that I can get a discount at." Breda said laughing.

"You just want to introduce your girlfriend to the famous Edward Elric you have told her so much about, Breda!" Havoc said with a laugh.

"Like there's something wrong with that, Havoc?" Breda said jokingly, still laughing.

"Not at all, chief." Havoc replied, turning his attention to Ed. "You feel alright to go get something to eat, Ed?"

"Sure, let me get a quick shower and some clean clothes on and we can go." Ed answered, feeling a bit stronger on his feet now that the important news had sunk in. He got up and went into the bathroom before walking right back out of it. "Hey, Alphonse, think you can get me a fresh set of clothes to wear out?"

"Sure, nii-san. Get your shower and I'll have clothes ready for you to wear when you get out." Al said, heading for the doorway across from the bathroom.

Ed entered the bathroom, closing the door behind himself. He quickly stripped out of his clothing before starting the shower. He quickly washed his hair and body and then stood there under the hot water, letting it relax his muscles and soothe his tired body. He got out once the heat started leaving the water and he quickly got dried and changed into the set of clothes that Al set on the counter top. It was an outfit just like the one he used to wear when he and Al traveled around Amestris. He dried his hair and combed it through before putting it in his customary braid. His worn clothes went into the clothes hamper and he stepped out of the bathroom, greeting everyone with a nod and went to get shoes. He chose a pair of sandals instead of his trademark boots, complaining about needing to get a new pair. They were all filing out of Al's apartment when Ed joined them.

Read and Review, please… That way I know whether to start uploading the other chapters I have written….. This author thanks you…


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Wow… The pouring in of the few reviews I got was outstanding… I am surprised and pleased that so many people like it, what with reviews and the people adding this as a favorite… Thank you all.

Ali Phantom: Yes, and I have more up my sleeve, too... Please do continue to read... Thank you! 

Very Swampeh: Aye... I have several flashbacks planned to include, so we will know a lot of what happened... Thanks so much.

abby0315: Thank you... Very much...

peaceofmindalchemist: I was actually kind of worried that it would be a bit ooc to fit together with the series... ^-^' Thank you.

Mel: Thanks... I haven't forgotten the story, haha.... Just experienced some difficulties getting this chapter posted... (see note below the chapter)

icechampion: Thank you...

Standard disclaimer applies: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist… That is the intellectual property of Hiromu Arakawa-Sama.

Now… To continue where I left off…

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When they got to the diner that Breda chose, Ed was very much worn out. They chose to walk, since it was close to base where they were located. They entered the diner and Breda was immediately grabbed by the slight lady acting as hostess and kissed on the cheek. Breda's face turned a few shades of red and Ed chuckled, this being his first time witnessing the older man acting in such a manner.

"Melanie, this is Edward Elric. Ed, this is my girlfriend Melanie." Breda said, after he pulled away from the woman. She was about Breda's height with auburn hair and light green eyes. Her slender frame housed a voice that carried and a personality that was nothing short of inviting.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Ed said, holding his hand out in greeting. Melanie grabbed his hand and pulled him into a hug just like she did Breda.

"It's so good to finally meet you, Ed. Heymans has been so worried about you, I'm glad to see you are awake and responsive now. In celebration, your meals are on the house this morning!" Melanie said. Ed was about to protest when he saw the name tag on her collar that said she was the manager.

"Are you sure, I mean…"

"No questions asked. To celebrate the return of the People's Alchemist, it's the least we can do." Melanie cut him off and led them to the best table in the place. Ed's face was bright red, not being used to people catering to him the way she obviously was. She held the chair out for him and gave him another hug as he went to sit down and then left the group to look over the menus in peace.

"I see why you insisted, Breda… You knew it would be free." Fuery said laughing.

"You're damn straight, Fuery. I knew she'd insist on it being on the house, and it's better to have a cook doing the work instead of Al having to slave over a stove." Breda said with a laugh. No one could argue with the man's logic either.

"So, Breda, tell me, is she always this affectionate?" Ed asked with a laugh.

"You bet, boss. She's affectionate and she never gets mad at me. I know where my bread is buttered, so I do whatever she wants me to." Breda responded, laughing the whole time.

"Yeah, but that's just because you're whipped, chief." Havoc said with a laugh.

"That I may be, but it would be smart if you were the same way. At least my woman isn't armed." Breda said, winking at Hawkeye.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey, she got me to quit smoking, that's got to count for something… Right?"

The whole table laughed as Hawkeye narrowed her eyes at Havoc. His forehead broke into a sheen of nervous sweat which caused Hawkeye to truly laugh for the first time that day, since seeing Ed awake. "Breda, he is whipped… He just doesn't realize it yet!" She said in the middle of her laughs.

Once the waiter came to the table they all gave their orders, Ed getting the lightest meal, and they continued talking, catching Ed up on all that he'd missed.

"So, Falman retired?" Ed asked, casually. The whole table went silent and then Hawkeye spoke up.

"Yeah, he retired. He said he was tired of being in the military. He didn't condemn us for our decisions, but he said that a military that employs children and allows them to be hurt like you were is not what he signed on to see."

"When did he leave?"

"Shortly after Alphonse joined. He didn't want to see Al get hurt like you were. He said one Elric brother severely injured was all he could stand to see."

"That sucks. I really liked Falman. Is he in the Central area?"

"Yeah, he runs the Libraries in Central. We can stop by there later on, if you want to, nii-san." Al responded.

"Yeah, I'd like to see him again."

The table went silent before Al's eyes widened a bit. "Nii-san, be prepared…"

"EDWARD ELRIC, HOW WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"

Ed turned from the table just in time to see a huge pair of arms crushing him to a huge muscular chest. "Can't…. breathe…. Armstrong…."

"Oh, it is wonderful to hear your voice Mr. Elric." Armstrong started, having released Edward from his death-grip hug. "When Roy Mustang told us in the meeting that his subordinate had awakened from his coma, which was why he was late, I had to excuse myself to see you. How are you feeling, Edward?"

"I'd be better if it didn't hurt to breathe now. I think you broke a rib!" Ed said, glowering at the over-emotional large man, who was wiping a tear from his right eye.

"I am very sorry, Edward. Very truly sorry. Let me make it up to you…" Armstrong started, but he was cut off by Havoc.

"Hey, leave the man be, chief. He'll be back at work in two weeks, bother him then."

"Yes sir, Lt. Colonel Havoc!" Armstrong said before heading to the door to the diner. "I must get back to the meeting. I will see you all later."

"Wow, Havoc, how'd you do that?" Ed asked, impressed at Armstrong's reaction.

"Behind every good man, there's an excellent markswoman." Havoc said, and to solidify his words, the sound of the safety being activated on a pistol was heard.

They all laughed, again, this time the laughter led by Hawkeye. The meals came shortly after and everybody dug into their food. Breda polished his plate off first, using the bread at the table to ensure that his plate was clean before he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his stomach.

"That really hits the spot." He sighed.

Ed mostly toyed around with his food, drinking his tea and juice. He ate a couple bites of his eggs and a piece of toast, but that is all he really bothered to try eating.

"Not hungry, chief?" Havoc asked, glancing over at Ed.

"I don't think I should eat too much so soon. I'll take the rest with me and I'm sure I'll finish it later." Ed laughed. "Besides, if I feel ill later, I'd rather not have a whole lot to get rid of."

"That was lovely table talk, nii-san." Al said with a groan. Ed winked at him and they both laughed.

"Hey, that was the edited version, Alphonse."

"So rude, nii-san." Al said, laughing.

Fuery broke the silence a couple minutes later. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Mustang will be expecting us any minute in the office…"

The gathered officers finished off what they had left of their meals and left the Elric brothers at the diner. Melanie held Breda up at the door for another round of hugs and kisses, causing the other officers with him to begin a round of teasing him on their walk back to headquarters.

"How's Winry doing, Al?" Ed asked quietly, as if embarrassed to even bring up their childhood friend.

"She's still in Rush Valley studying automail there. The Rockbell Automail shop in Resembool closed six months ago when Granny Pinako died." Al said quietly.

"Granny Pinako is dead? What happened?"

"They say it was natural causes. Her age caught up with her, I guess."

"I bet Winry was torn up over it." Ed mused, tears glistening in his eyes. "I'm going to miss that old bat. Does Winry have Den in Rush Valley with her, or is that old dog also gone?"

"Den is the unofficial mascot of the shop Winry works in. Everybody in Rush Valley loves him."

"I bet it's because he has automail." Ed said with a laugh.

"Probably. You remember the loons there where automail is concerned."

"Mhmmm… I remember it all too well. I also remember them thinking that you had full body automail, too."

"Yeah… That was the one time I was ever more popular than you, nii-san."

"Hey, Winry likes you better anyways, Al."

"You think so?" Al asked, hope evident in his tone of voice.

"I know so, Al. She's always liked you more. Why do you think I was so jealous of you as a young kid?"

"Oh… So that's why you started the fight over who Winry was going to marry…?"

"Uh-huh. Not that it did any good, because we were both rejected…"

The brothers finished what they were going to eat and stood from their table. Melanie rushed over to their table to see them out. "Come back and see us again, Mr. Elric. Maybe we can put a little weight on that skeleton of yours." She said with a laugh, winking at Ed.

"Yeah, maybe." Ed responded with a laugh. "It was nice meeting you, ma'am."

"Just call me Melanie, Mr. Elric… Ma'am is way too formal."

"Alright, Melanie. Then you call me Ed."

"Alright, Ed… You boys have a good day!"

They waved their farewell to the diner's manager and headed back to Central command. Ed turned to Al and frowned. Al noticed and raised his eyebrow. "What's wrong, nii-san?"

"Do you have to go to the office with the rest of them?"

"No, Mustang has me solely doing research, remember? I hand my reports in to him whenever he comes to visit you, other than that; I have free rein of whatever I do." Al smiled. "Things are a lot more relaxed than they were with Bradley as Fuhrer, Ed. There hasn't been any conflict, save with Aerugo in the south, but that has been going on for years. Drachma has signed a treaty with Amestris and the border is now peaceful in the north. All the State Alchemists are assigned to research in their areas of interest until they are needed. The only open State lab is Lab number 1, and there are talks of shutting that lab down also. The State Alchemists out in the field are doing charity work and using their alchemy to help the people. We aren't human weapons anymore; we are actually using government funds to evolve our alchemy to better the lives of the people, which is how it should have been in the first place."

Ed let out a relieved breath, glad that they were close to having a Fuhrer that had first hand knowledge of the terrible atrocities that State Alchemists were forced to carry out. Not only was Roy Mustang aware of these atrocities, he had been forced to carry out a good percentage of them, and so he had the stubborn mindset to keep anyone else from having to face those same orders. Ed knew this was so, yet he still was not sure that he would be willing to go back to being in the military. Indeed, he wasn't so sure he was happy with his little brother being chained to this military. He got what he wanted from his time in the services. He was now ready to shed his military skin once the chance came. Ed was so deep in thought, his mind circling all this numerous times over when Al grabbed his wrist, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"You may have been out of it for a while but you still know your way around Central, Nii-san." Al said laughing. He had followed Ed all the way to the library; the older brother never even realized where his feet were carrying him.

"I guess I'll never be free of the library, huh Al?"

"I guess not, Nii-san. You want to go in to see Falman since we're here?"

Ed contemplated the question for a very short period of time before he answered in the affirmative and led his younger brother up the steps to the library. "Where does he work in here, Al?"

"He's the head of Special Collections of both branches of the Central libraries. He is in charge of all those rare texts that we spent all those months looking over." Al answered, flashing his pocket watch to the guard as they passed. Even so, the guard did a double-take upon seeing Ed walking alongside the young man he'd waved by so much.

"He finally woke up, Mr. Elric?" The guard calls out to Al, a big smile on his face.

"Yes, he did." Al said, smiling and turning back to the guard. "Ed… Come here real quick. I have someone for you to meet."

Ed quickly turned around to look at Al quizzically. He walks back towards Al and stops right at his brother's side. "Alright, Al..."

"Brother, this is Lieutenant Joshua Cooper. He is pretty much always here guarding this place... whenever I came here to do research he would always encourage me when I was close to giving up." Alphonse told his brother. Edward gave the man a grateful look and shook his hand.

"It's an honor to meet you, Fullmetal, sir." The Lieutenant said in a tone that was all business. He gives Edward a sharp salute before standing at ease.

"Just call me Edward or Ed... And please... Don't bother with saluting me." Ed responded to the man, his face a brilliant shade of red. He had always been really sensitive about older people treating him in such a way.

"But, sir, as a Colonel, I am required to salute you..." The older guardsman said, sounding as if saluting his superiors was the most important thing he was supposed to do.

"Fine, fine..." Ed responded, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Anyways... Al, we have someone to visit, don't we?"

"Oh, yeah... I almost forgot, Brother..." Al answered with a laugh. "Talk to you later, Lieutenant."

"Alright, Major Elric. It was nice meeting you, Colonel Elric."

"Likewise..." Ed called back. As soon as they were out of earshot, Ed turned to his brother. "He isn't the brightest person, is he?"

"Be nice, brother!" Al admonished. "He's a military man, through and through. He does everything by the book. Which is why they have him on guard duty."

Ed nodded in response and the brothers entered the doorway to the library. As soon as they were inside, Ed took a deep breath and sighed. "There's no better scent than a library." There was a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

"Alright, brother... there will be time to pore over the books later. Let's go see Falman."

And so ends chapter 2... I hope it meets expectations...

I meant to have this up so much sooner, but the original file I had been working on was not cooperating, so I had to do a re-write.

Next chapter, we'll get a conversation between the brothers and Vato Falman...

Read and Review, please and thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note

Oh My God! It has been FAR too long since I have been able to update this story. My computer decided it was going to crap out on me, and I have only just now been able to purchase a new computer. I lost all that I had been working on, SOOOO… I am going to read over what I have and get another new chapter out, hopefully by the end of next week… I may get it out sooner; it all depends on when I get cracking on it! I am very sorry for the delay, but I will begin working to rectify that and hopefully make up for it!

Thank you for reading it, my lovelies! I hope not to disappoint you all!

Lycan-Otaku-1981


	4. Chapter 4

Author's notes: So… It has been too long since my last chapter. I sincerely apologize for that one. Unfortunately it was totally beyond my control. I am saddened by the fact that I lost the chapters that I had been working on, and as such lost track of where the original story was going… Hopefully, I can regain a similar storyline and get this beast back on schedule. I noticed as I read through what I had already put up, that I switched from 'nii-san' in chapter 1, to 'brother' in chapter 2. I don't believe I previously caught it, but on reading it now, the lack of uniformity kind of bothers me. I am considering editing chapter 2, to fix it, but if it is not a bother to anyone else, I may just leave it be. Thank you for reading, following, commenting, etc. It certainly gives this humble writer a small ego boost.

Regular Disclaimers apply… I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist… It and all characters from it are the sole possession of Hiromu Arakawa-Sama…

Chapter 3

The brothers make their way through the library stacks that they are all too familiar with, Edward's right hand dragging along the bindings of the shelved books to his side, almost longingly. 'There's time for reading later' he chastised himself, continuing behind his younger, yet slightly taller, brother. As soon as they reached the stairs at the far end of the stacks, Ed let out an almost wistful sigh.

"What's wrong, nii-san?" Al asked, a slightly worried expression on his face that dropped into amusement as he caught the nearly reverent look his brother was giving the books. He laughed, causing several shushing sounds coming from among the shelves and shelves of books. "Come on, Ed. Let's go see Falman. We can stop to look at the books on the way out of here, if you want."

"Alright, Al… Lead the way." Ed replied, almost rushing Al the rest of the distance to the stairs, and up them. His antics caused another laugh to burst from Al's mouth, closely followed by shushes and murmured apologies. As soon as they were safely in the depths of the stairwell, Ed turned to Al, stopping him in his tracks. "How many flights do we have to go up, Al?"

"Just the one, nii-san. They moved the library offices to the second floor from the top floor about nine months ago. There was some issue with people being able to get to their offices on time, so the new library director had things moved around." Al said with a smile, continuing on ahead of Ed. His eyes then widened and he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Are you getting tired, nii-san?"

"A little bit, Al. But if it's just this one flight, I think I can handle it." Ed answered with a determined look in his eyes. "Put myself through much worse than one flight of stairs and a walk across town." Ed mumbled under his breath, trying to ignore his flagging energy.

"We can stop and rest, Ed… You have had a very busy day already…"

"No, Al. Let's finish these stairs first. I will not be bested by inanimate stone…" Ed growled, stomping his way up the stairs, hardheadedly forcing himself to continue. 'I am not weak, damn it! I can do this!'

Al glanced back at his brother, instantly recognizing the stubborn look in his eyes. 'If anyone can pull off the headstrong, hard-headed attitude, it is definitely nii-san…' he thought, shaking his head. "If you're sure, nii-san."

"I've never been surer of anything in my life…"

"Yeah right, nii-san… Even fixing our mistake?"

Ed frowned at that and muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously close to him cursing Al's curiosity. Al laughed at that and they continued up the stairs in near silence. Ed stopped very few times to catch his breath, as if trying to prove a point to Al, though he came very close to collapsing once they reached the top of the flight of stairs.

"Nii-san!" Al yelled out in surprise when he felt Ed's weight pressing down on his shoulders. "You shouldn't have pushed yourself so hard! Now please, sit…" Al guided him to a row of seats along the wall in the hallway, helping him to sit in a chair before looking at his brother with a look that clearly said that he knew he should have forced his brother to rest along the way up the steps. Ed winced when he saw the look in his brother's eyes.

"Don't start blaming yourself, Al…" His golden eyes holding an unspoken apology, Ed frowned before looking away, trying desperately to calm the trembling in his limbs from over exertion.

Al was about to respond to that when a familiar voice is heard from down the hallway. "It's true then, Alphonse? Why didn't you call me?"

Ed turned to his left, noticing the figure slumped in relief. He never thought to see such a look of grateful, though fervently disbelieving, welcome. "Falman! It's so very good to see you."

"The feeling is mutual, Edward. I was so very concerned for you, and about your brother's current situation."

"So I heard… I thank you for your concern… It warms me more than words can hope to express."

Falman studies Ed carefully, quickly noticing the slight tremors running through his limbs. His already narrowed eyes nearly turn to slits. "When did he wake up, Alphonse?"

"Just this morning, Vato. I know he's still weak, but I followed him here, instead of forcing him back to my quarters. You know how hard-headed nii-san is…" Al says with a bit of a nervous laugh.

"He's shaking like a leaf, Alphonse. I'd say he has probably well over exerted himself already. A phone call would have sufficed." Vato Falman replies sounding far colder than was intended, shaking his head.

Ed's eyes narrow at the tone the older man is using on his younger brother. How dare he talk to Alphonse like that? "You know, 'he' is right here… And 'he' doesn't like this high and mighty hand you are playing. Al doesn't deserve to be talked to like that, I don't care who you are. Us coming here actually wasn't planned at all, but when we noticed where we were I insisted on coming in to pay you a visit and tell you that I am ok now. Apparently, I seem to have pushed myself a little harder than was smart. Big deal!"

Falman's gaze softens, the honey brown hidden behind his narrowed lids showing ever so slightly. "I never intended to cross any lines, Edward. I am concerned, is all."

"Well, I am sorry that I have given you a fright. And I appreciate your concern. But the next time you treat me like an invalid and start that shit with Alphonse, I won't hesitate to pull out vintage 'Fullmetal.'" Ed warns. "I am recovering from a major coma that is all."

"I apologize, Edward… Alphonse…" Falman says, bowing deeply in apology.

"It's really okay, Vato." Al responds, laughing. Ed looks at him, noticing the faint blush of embarrassment on his younger brother's face and shakes his head.

"Yeah, yeah… Now, help me into your office, Falman, before we cause a ruckus out here in the hallway." Ed says, being the first to notice the gathering crowd of spectators to this verbal argument. Word had begun spreading that the famous Fullmetal Alchemist was finally awake and in the library had brought out so many people wanting to see if it was true with their own eyes. That and it wasn't very often that people got to see the new head of special collections being put in his place and humbly taking it. Vato Falman may not be known for being a badass or even a tough guy, but people never got in his face about anything, partially due to the fact that the man played such a role in the war to protect Amestris from King Bradley and the rest of the homunculi.

Said man's eyes opened in surprise, never having noticed the gathering crowd. "Yes, let's take this to my office."

Between Al and Falman, they got Ed to the office in no time, the elder Elric leaning heavily on the older man. Once they got Ed settled into a chair, Falman leaned on the edge of his desk. He looked both brothers over and when he was satisfied that they both appeared to be fine, he smiled a bit and relaxed.

"So, you quit the military because of me?" Ed asked, smiling.

"I quit the military because I no longer wanted to see them ruining the lives of children first hand. You being in your coma and them bringing Alphonse into the State Alchemist fold was the straw that broke the camel's back. I couldn't watch the pain and suffering any longer. Mustang understood and accepted my resignation immediately, thankfully, and I started working here not long after."

"A lot has changed, huh? I'm still trying to wrap my head around this…" Ed gestures at Al… "And this…" Raising his right arm, Ed lets out a sigh.

"He was in so much shock when he saw me walk in the room after he woke up, I was half afraid he was going to go back into his coma." Al says, frowning. "When everyone started showing up for their morning check-ins and he stayed with us… that was when I knew he was back."

"You gave us all quite the scare Edward." Falman admits, rubbing the back of his head. "I have never known such hardened military men to be as emotional as they were concerning you and your brother. We may have all been Mustang's men, but I think after you came along, you were the cement that held the group together and as happy as we were that you succeeded in your goals concerning your brother and yourself… We knew that you weren't done with your hardships until you came back to us."

Ed's eyes were wide with surprise with what Falman was saying. He frowns a little before turning away from the older man. "If I hadn't seen their reactions with my own eyes this morning, I would have said you were crazy, you know that? So many things have changed the way I thought about every one of you this morning. It's going to cause issues with going back in a couple of weeks."

At hearing that, Falman leaned heavily against his desk. His eyes held a mixture of worry and disappointment that was clear and unmistakable. "You're going back? I would have thought that you'd leave once you woke up."

"Yeah, I am going back. I don't know how long I'll stay with the military, but for now I am staying right where I am. It's a job that pays very well, and I can work on my alchemy… Assuming I can still do alchemy that is… I haven't tried since I came to…"

"What about going home and visiting your friend Winry?"

"I think I might like to do that… I do have two weeks leave, after all…" Ed smiles wistfully, thinking of seeing his best friend and spending time with her again for the first time in what seems like forever. "What do you think, Al? How about a trip to Rush Valley?"

Al's face brightens, turning a bit red along his cheekbones. "That sounds like an excellent idea. When we get back to my rooms I'll give her a call and let her know we're coming to visit." He froze and his eyes widened a bit. "Nii-san… I never called her and told her about you!"

Falman laughs at the younger boy's reaction and a grin actually breaks out on the older man's face. "There you are then…" He starts before Ed cuts his words off.

"Don't call her, Al! I want to surprise her when I walk into her shop!" Ed says; the start of a mischievous grin on his face.

"No, nii-san! The last time someone surprised her like that, things did not turn out too well for them." Al squeaks out, sweat breaking out across his forehead and his left eye twitching.

"Edward, don't you think she should at least be called to let her know that you are awake and okay?" Falman asks between chuckles.

"Maybe she should be told… But I don't want anyone to tell her just yet. The look I want on her face is to be shock and surprise…" Ed trails off, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

"Nii-san… It's not a good idea…" Al warns.

"It'll be fun though, Al." Ed laughs

"Edward, I think you should listen to your little brother…" Falman says his tone serious. Any response he would have gotten cut off by a sharp knock at his office door. "Come in!" He calls out.

The door opens and a young man is standing in the doorframe. "Sir, there is an inventory issue down in special collections that requires your attention."

Falman stands at that. "Edward, Alphonse, I am afraid that my work calls. You really must come back to visit often now that you have recovered, Edward."

The Elric brothers stand and head towards the door ahead of Falman. "You bet, Falman." Ed responds with a smile. "It was very good seeing you again. You can bet that I'll pretty much be a regular here once again."

"Very good. Now you boys stay out of trouble."

The brothers laugh as they head towards the stairs to leave the office area. Ed is in good humor, though Al is still looking a little shaken. Noticing the look on his brother's face, Ed frowns. "Does Winry scare you that much, Al?"

"You just came back to us, Ed! I'm worried she'll knock you out and you'll be gone again! You remember how she used to attack you with wrenches!"

"I'll be fine Al. Believe me, it'll be okay." Ed replies tenderly. "Besides, I bet she breaks down crying as soon as she sees me."

Al shakes his head a bit as they make their way outside the library. "Alright, fine… I won't call her then."

"Thank you, Al."

"You're welcome, nii-san. Now, I have to apply for leave to travel to Rush Valley before we can go."

"That means we have to go see the Bastard again, doesn't it?"

"Nii-san…"

Ed's hands shoot up in placation. "Ok, ok… I meant to say Mustang anyways."

Sure, Nii-san."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

And there is chapter three. It took forever to get back in to the frame of mind for this, so I apologize for the long wait. First it was not having a computer and then it was me not being able to focus on it (whether because of being unable to get into it or the distraction of The Sims). Anyways, next chapter we'll have more interaction with Mustang, a train ride, and Rush Valley! I may even be able to slip Winry in there somewhere, but I am thinking the Winry interaction will possibly be the chapter after. I hope this has held up to my reader's expectations, and as always, reviews are welcome and encouraged. Please let me know if I have done right by this chappy.


	5. Chapter 5

Regular Disclaimers apply… I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist… It and all characters from it are the sole possession of Hiromu Arakawa-Sama…

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

"You think Mustang will be in the office now, Al? It's probably lunch time for him now…" Ed asks his younger brother. "You could probably get permission for the trip over the phone."

"Nii-san…" Al groans. This is the third time Ed suggested requesting leave over the phone since they left the library after visiting with Falman.

"I'm just saying, it'll be easier doing that than hunting the man down to talk to him." Ed reasoned. "Besides, I really don't want to see him again today." He muttered under his breath.

"I heard that, nii-san. We're going in person to request permission, which I might add is proper protocol."

"Hang proper protocol… Do I really have to deal with that man two times in one day?"

"Don't you want to go surprise Winry?" Al asked in a teasing tone, Ed's face turning ever so slightly red.

"Alright, fine. Let's get this over with then."

With Ed finally relaxing about the idea, Al leads them into Central Headquarters. They work their way through the maze of hallways and staircases, stopping every now and then for Ed to catch his breath and rest for a bit. When they finally reached the office on the fourth floor it was to hear laughter and joking flowing through the open doorway, not something Ed was used to with the guys (at least with Hawkeye around).

"So, you seriously think he's not going to realize when he gets back in here?" Havoc's voice trails out to them.

"Be quiet, Jean… You want to give it away? I'm not sure they all heard you in Eastern Command." Breda hisses.

"I just want to let it be known that I had nothing to do with this. If Riza chews my ass up over this, I'll have your head, Heymans."

"Relax, man. Just act like nothing is going on and it'll be alright."

"Shh, guys… I hear footsteps." Fuery's voice squeaks out right before Ed and Al get right in the doorway.

"You guys realize we could hear you all the way down the hall." Al says as they walk in, barely suppressing his laughter.

"What's going on, chief? I thought you had two more weeks off?" Havoc drawls out, ignoring the comment and acting as if he did not know what Al was talking about.

"Yeah, we do. We wanted to get the okay from the Bas… erm… Mustang to travel down to Rush Valley." Ed says in answer to Havoc's query. "What did you guys do?" He then asks, lowering his voice in a truly conspiratory manner.

"Ask Breda, I'm begging innocence." Havoc mutters. Ed glances over to Breda to see the larger man holding up a pair of bolts in his hand, laughing.

"Are they from…?"

"His chair, that is correct."

"Oh, that is priceless… Where is he, anyways?"

"He went down to the mess hall for lunch." Hawkeye says, walking in the room. "You should be able to find him there. Let me give you the forms to fill out for the leave requests. Oh, and Breda…" She says without even looking at the man "Put the bolts back in his chair and tighten them securely. Let's not be a bad influence."

A light sheen of sweat graces Breda's forehead. "How'd you know?"

"The amount of things I do not know could fill a thimble, Breda. Don't underestimate me." She replies, in her no-nonsense tone of voice.

"Yes, ma'am." Breda mutters dejectedly. He gets up and walks over to the separated office and enters, disappearing from sight.

"Alright, boys, these are the forms you'll need to fill out. First page is going to be all your basic information: military ID number, name, phone number, address, and all… second page is going to be where you are going, how long you are staying, and the nature of your visit, if just visiting friends or family you can mark the nature of your trip as personal… third page is optional, it is to go into detail, if you are going for extended research or the like, it is to give an explanation for your research and what you hope to find out or accomplish." She gave the rundown on the forms before totally handing them over to the younger men. "These forms are a little different in regards to regular military men and women, but they are straight forward. Just let me know if you have any questions while filling those out."

"Thank you, Hawkeye." Ed replies at the same time as Al says "Thank you, ma'am."

"There's no need to be formal while you are here and not working, Alphonse." Hawkeye responds with a laugh. Just then a crash is heard from the adjoining office and her eye twitches as she turns toward the noise.

"Aw, crap." Havoc breathes out before jumping out of his seat to calm his fiancée. Ed shakes his head as he grabs a pen and takes a seat to fill out his forms, Al right beside him.

"What the hell is going on in here, Breda." An enraged Hawkeye yells from the next room, causing Fuery to spill coffee down his coat front.

The small man sighs and stands from his desk. "I'll be back, guys." He says in a breathy tone.

The brothers get their forms filled out in no time flat, and they rise to leave the office. "Hawkeye, we're going to try and catch Mustang in the mess hall. If he gets back and we haven't seen him, let him know we're looking for him." Al says, peeking his head in the doorway, to see Breda sprawled out on the floor in the chair, which is separated from its legs.

"Alright, Alphonse."

With that, the brothers made their way back through the labyrinth of hallways and stairs to the mess hall on the first floor. The huge cafeteria-like room was buzzing with hushed conversation as they approached the door, but as soon as Ed crossed the threshold and entered the room, conversations ground to a halt. The brothers looked around the room, Ed smiling nervously, until they found the object of their search, in quiet conversation with Major Armstrong and a couple men they did not recognize. Upon seeing Mustang, they made their way over to the man and stood over his table, Al saluting the higher ranked officer, Ed staring down at him.

Mustang glanced up to see wh was standing over him and cocked an eyebrow at the open defiance of the older brother. "Is there a problem, Colonel Elric?"

Ed thrust his papers under Mustang's nose in response, begrudgingly offering a half-hearted salute as he did so. "No problem, sir."

"Good… At ease, Alphonse. Edward, you can salute until you do it properly." Mustang said with a smirk. "Now, what is this?"

Al handed Mustang his papers as soon as he was allowed to leave his salute. "We are requesting leave to go to Rush Valley to visit with a family friend, sir."

Mustang smiled at that. "Paying Winry a visit, then?"

"Yes, sir. We thought that she would like to see that Ed is better for herself."

"Alright." Mustang said, looking over the papers. Al's was easy to decipher, written in his neat elegant script, whereas he had to squint to decipher Ed's chicken scratch. "Well, everything appears to be in order. Are you going to want to go to Resembool as well to visit the graves of your mother and granny?"

"I hadn't thought of that. We just might, sir." Al responded.

"Okay then, everything appears to be in order." He offered in response, looking up at Ed, who was saluting him properly. He nods and smirks. "At ease, Edward. Be lucky that you are on leave right now, because your open defiance is cause enough for a trip to the brig."

"Yes, sir." Ed replied in a sharp tone of voice, causing Mustang's eyes to narrow ever so slightly.

"Don't tempt me, Elric." Mustang said in a growl. "Once you get back from leave, I want you fitted for your uniforms. It is high time you dressed like a proper part of the military." He then turned back to his lunch companions. "That will be all. Enjoy your trip. Give Winry my regards."

The brothers saluted Mustang in departure and turned away from the table. As they exited the mess hall the whispers and hushed conversations started back up, throughout the hall.

"Alright, nii-san, let's go get packed and then we can buy our train tickets."

"Right behind you, Al."

As they were walking from headquarters to the barracks a small girl's voice called out to them. "Big Brother!" Al's eyes went wide and he made a noise in surprise.

"I forgot!" He said, smacking his hand against his forehead and turning around and opening his arms to catch the little girl flying at him at breakneck speed. "Elicia!"

"Sorry Alphonse, she saw you and pulled away from me." Gracia says, laughing. Her laughter catches when she notices it is Ed standing next to Al. "Edward…" she gasps, tears coming to her eyes, reaching out to touch Ed, making sure she wasn't imagining him there.

"Hey, Mrs. Hughes. Sorry to make you worry about me for so long." Ed tells her, averting his gaze.

"Don't you apologize for something you had no control over, Edward!" She scolds him, pulling him into a hug, tears finally breaking free of her eyes. "I'm just glad to see you have recovered. I was so worried about you. Both of you, if I'm to be honest. Edward, please, call me Gracia."

"Big Brother Ed got real big!" Elicia murmurs, her eyes real wide in wonder.

"Yeah, I did. You got big too, Elicia!"

"Nuh-uh, Ed! I'm still little!" Elicia exclaims. "Mommy, can they come back now that Ed woke up? Big brothers are supposed to stay home!"

Gracia looked from Ed to Al before turning to her daughter. "Your big brothers work with Uncle Roy, Elicia. They have to do their work, honey." Elicia pouts at her mother's words. "When did you wake up, Edward?"

"It was this morning, Gracia. We've been slow getting word out."

"That's alright, boys. You will come over for lunch, right? Elicia and I were on our way home from visiting Maes and we were trying to figure out what to have for lunch."

The brothers exchange a glance before they nod in Gracia's direction. "We would be honored to join you two for lunch, Gracia."

"Good. As an added bonus, I do believe I have some of that pie that you both love so much." Gracia says, winking in Ed's direction as Al is picking Elicia up to carry on his shoulders.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Author's Notes: I know, I never got to the train ride or Winry this chapter. I had no control where the muse and plot bunny directed me to go. I am sorry, but I can confidently promise you that next chapter will contain the train ride and Rush Valley and the Automail Queen herself, lol.

That being said, I am not sure if this story still contains the interest of the readers like it did before. I fear I didn't get many reviews from the last chapter and I am concerned that I was simply away from it too long and as a result lost my audience. Please, drop me a line in review. Let me know what you think of the story as a whole, the chapter individually, or what have you. I am not sure if I am being true to the characters, but I am hoping that my interpretation of these magnificent characters strikes at least a fraction of a chord, with the readers, that their originals did.


End file.
